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A dated inventory identifies the GPU configuration; it is not a diagnostic certificate or a workload benchmark.
A GPU inventory CSV from nvidia-smi should contain only the fields needed to identify the configuration and discuss compatibility. Preserve units, collection time and the host reference. The file describes what was reported at that moment; it does not certify reliability or future workload capacity.
For an initial equipment proposal, a short, reviewed extract is usually more useful than a complete diagnostic dump containing unnecessary identifiers.
Choose a small set of fields
NVIDIA SMI documents query fields and CSV output. A read-only example for supported devices is:
nvidia-smi --query-gpu=name,memory.total,driver_version --format=csvCheck the available fields on the installed version. Keep a separate internal host identifier so records from different machines cannot be confused. Do not add serial numbers, network addresses or account details unless they are genuinely needed for the next assessment.
Preserve units and unavailable values
A number without its unit is difficult to interpret. Record whether memory uses the unit reported by the tool and whether the export includes headers. If a value is unsupported or unavailable, keep that state visible rather than replacing it with zero.
| Field | Useful interpretation | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| GPU name | Reported model | Does not describe the whole host |
| Total memory | Reported device capacity | Not free workload memory |
| Driver version | Current environment | Does not prove framework compatibility |
| Collection time | Observation date | Configuration may later change |
NVIDIA’s NVML documentation provides further context for management information. It does not make every metric available on every product or turn a configuration export into a complete acceptance test.
Separate inventory from testing
Record health checks and workload measurements in separate documents linked to the same machine. A card can appear in the inventory while a particular container or model still fails. Conversely, one successful model run does not establish stability under every workload.
After a driver or hardware change, collect a new extract and retain the earlier version. This supports investigation without rewriting the evidence that informed the original decision.
Review the file before sharing
Open the CSV and check headers, device count, units and accidental sensitive content. Confirm that it belongs to the intended host and can be understood without access to your terminal session.
The GPU extract is a useful starting point; the proposed workload and connection arrangement are assessed separately.
Continue with Vast.ai Hosting Setup: Prepare a Verifiable Server Record and A Change Register for GPU Drivers and Server Settings.